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My Growing Chicks

One advantage of being at home is that I get to spend more time with my pets. I love touring the farm and visiting with my horses, peafowl, pigeons, geese, and chickens - they all provide wonderful company.

Yesterday, I stopped to take photos of my growing chicks - 20 peeps that were incubated and hatched in my Winter House Kitchen. They’re now about a month to six-weeks-old and doing excellently - alert, healthy, and very curious.

If you follow this blog regularly, you may recall these adorable chicks. The peeps hatched in a special incubator I keep in my kitchen.

They live on the kitchen counter for the first week and then get moved down to the basement where they have more room. They grow very quickly.

After about three weeks, they go down to a brooder in one of the coops – half of the coop is sectioned off just for these babies until they are old enough and big enough to go outdoors and mingle with the others.

Look how much they’ve grown.

It’s still a bit chilly here in the Northeast, so the brooder is outfitted with heat lamps to keep them warm.

The chicks are very eager to explore their surroundings. Chickens have their own personalities – some are more active or more curious than others.

These chicks all have clear eyes and are very alert – signs of good health. This pretty female is a Buff Cochin.

The chicks are carefully monitored. Dawa, who oversees all the outdoor birds at the farm, checks on these youngsters several times a day and will continue to do so for the next few weeks. They are fed a good chick starter filled with protein for weight gain and muscle development, plus vitamins and minerals to keep them healthy and to build their immune systems.

These chicks will stay on their starter food until about eight weeks of age. They are very good eaters.

They also enjoy greens. Dawa hangs bunches of fresh greens for them to pick on every day.

Chickens are not difficult to keep, but it does take time, commitment and a good understanding of animal husbandry to do it well. I have been raising chickens for many years.

These young birds are filled with curiosity and love approaching visitors when they arrive.

It’s always important to show all new birds, especially chicks, where their food and water are located, so they know right away where to go.

These chicks love playing and interacting with each other as well.

This chick is already practicing how to perch on higher levels. Ideally, chickens need a perch because they like to roost off the ground.

The chick in the back has found an even higher perch. The chicks are growing fast and already starting to flap their wings fly very short distances.

I am so happy with this group of babies – they are all strong good eaters, and will be a great addition to my flock.

Here are my two Pomeranian geese rushing to see what is going on – these geese make excellent guardians for my flock of chickens. Naturally territorial, geese fit easily into the guardian role and don’t need any training in how to protect.

I’ve raised many different chicken breeds and varieties over the years – they are all so beautiful to observe. I am fascinated by their many colors and feather patterns.

Soon the chicks will have access to the outdoors where they can roam freely and explore. It’s always such a joy to see the animals at my farm thriving. I hope you are spending good quality time with your own pets during these days at home. Please stay safe.